The 13 richest countries where people have the least trust in their politicians

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy talks to reporters after a control session at Spanish parliament in Madrid, Spain, September 30, 2015.Reuters

The World Economic Forum's recently-released Global Competitiveness Survey doesn't just look at the financial health and risks of countries around the world, it also offers some pretty interesting insights into the psyche of nations.

One of these is how much the public trusts its politicians.

The WEF used its executive opinion survey to ask "in your country, how do you rate the ethical standards of politicians?"

A score of 1 equates to "extremely low" while a rating of 7 is "extremely high."

The measure is therefore based on the perceptions of the population. Absolutely no country scored a 7, although Singapore topped the rankings with 6.2.

Britain did pretty well with 4.5 , and the United States came at 48th with 3.4.

We looked only at the 34 OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, which are all considered relatively developed economies with democratic systems.

13. Turkey: 3.1. The country's politicians are just as famous for brawling in parliament as they are for being dogged by corruption. A scandal in 2013 is still rumbling on after police raided several homes of the ruling elite and found millions of dollars in cash, allegedly used for bribery.

Reuters

12. Portugal: 3.0. Within the last year, a corruption scandal led to the resignation of the Internal Administration Minister Miguel Macedo. It was related to fast-tracked​ visas for foreign investors.

A gardener walks past a wall with graffiti that reads, "Pray for Portugal" and "Good Lord release us from those corrupt pigs that raged across Portugal" in Lisbon April 9, 2013.REUTERS/Jose Manuel Ribeiro

11. Israel: 2.8. The public's distrust in its politicians stems from a long history of belief that the institution operates on nepotism. According to Transparency International reports, over 80% of the public believe personal contacts are important or very important for getting things done in the public sector.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a ceremony honouring World War II veterans and marking the 70th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany at the Armoured Corps Memorial and Museum at Latrun Junction near Jerusalem May 7, 2015. Reuters

10 (joint). South Korea: 2.4. Like most countries that rank top of the list, South Koreans don't have much trust in the government due to corruption scandals. In April, the former Prime Minister Lee Wan-Koo resigned and was indicted two months later on corruption charges.

A South Korean army soldier aim his weapon as employees of subway station watch an anti-terror drill as part of Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise, at Sadang Subway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015.Ahn Young-joon/AP

10 (joint). Poland: 2.4. The government has done a lot over recent years to try and stamp out corruption. Through a combination of law enforcement action and political will, it has become a better place to do business. However, according to a Special Eurobarometer report, a quarter of citizens think that corruption affects their daily lives.

Poland's President Andrzej Duda speaks during a news conference at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland, September 21, 2015.REUTERS/Slawomir Kaminski/Agencja Gazeta

8. Greece: 2.3. Syriza's left-wing government led by Alexis Tsipras may have won re-election in September, but the public are still unsure about whether politicians are able to secure a better deal for the beleaguered country.

7 (joint). Hungary: 2.2. Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling party lost a lot of trust after the EU suspended payments to Hungary over suspected corruption in awarding contracts. In April this year, thousands of people across 50 Hungarian cities marched in protest against the government.

7 (joint). Mexico: 2.2. The scandal surrounding 43 students who disappeared on the night of September 26 last year highlights why the public distrust the government so much. Only two bodies have been recovered since the government admitted that they were abducted on the orders of the mayor, José Luis Abarca Velázquez, because they posed a risk of disrupting an event.

Students walk ahead of relatives holding pictures of some of the 43 trainee teachers who disappeared four months ago, as they take part in a demonstration to demand justice for their disappearance, in the Mexican state of Guerrero, February 5, 2015.REUTERS/Henry Romero

7 (joint). Spain: 2.2. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's government is embroiled in “a network of corruption” scandal that involved contracts worth roughly €250 million (£197 million). 51 people were arrested in 2014 and the government has battled to win back trust ever since.

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy talks to reporters after a control session at Spanish parliament in Madrid, Spain, September 30, 2015.Reuters

4. Slovakia: 2.1. Bribery is still seen as rife within the government and adds to one of the worst trust ratings in the OECD. The British government even warns potential investors in the country that "corruption in Slovakia exists especially in public procurement, healthcare, education and law enforcement."

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico addresses a news conference after a European Union leaders extraordinary summit on the migrant crisis in Brussels, Belgium September 24, 2015.Reuters

3. Slovenia: 1.9. The country is still struggling with its transition from Communism 20 years' ago. A decline in the management of public spending and well as perceived corruption still damages labour and monetary freedom.

Prime Minister of Slovenia Miro Cerar addresses a plenary meeting of the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 2015 at the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan, New York September 25, 2015.Reuters

1 (joint). Czech Republic: 1.7. Citizens deeply distrust the government, with allegations of bribery and improper business relations led to demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Petr Necas.

1 (joint). Italy: 1.7. Corruption and sex scandals have dominated Italian politics for decades. Silvio Berlusconi served as Prime Minister three times and was famous for throwing sex parties known as "bunga bunga parties." His reputation for alleged dodgy business practices also severely damaged the public's trust in the government.